NHTSA Complaint #10080550 — 1999 ISUZU TROOPER

I HAVE A 99 ISUZU TROOPER S, AND HAVE OWNED IT LESS THAN ONE YEAR. I BOUGHT IT WITH ABOUT 51.500 MILES. IT NOW HAS 8000 MILES ON. I LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN AND I USE THIS VEHICLE FOR MINIMAL PURPOSES. GETTING MAIL, GROCERIES, ETC. SMALL ERRANDS OF THE SORT. I WAS ON THE WAY OVER TO MY IN-LAWS AND NOTICED A TICKING SOUND AND THEN THE OIL LIGHT FLASHED. THEY LIVE ABOUT THREE BLOCKS AWAY. MY FATHER-IN-LAW CHECKED THE OIL AND THEN ADDED FOUR QUARTS BEFORE IT EVEN REGISTERED. NEITHER MYSELF NOR MY HUSBAND HAVE EVER NOTICED AN OIL STAIN OR ANY EVIDENCE OF OIL LOSS. AFTER HE ADDED THE OIL, THE KNOCKING SUBSIDED AND IT SEEMED FINE THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS I USED IT AROUND TOWN. THEN ON MY WAY OUT OF TOWN, IN ABOUT 20 MI, I HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND, BUT THE TEMPERATURE WAS FINE AND THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ON. I DECIDED TO STOP ANYWAY AND TO CALL A TOW TRUCK IN FEAR OF ANY FURTHER DAMAGE THAT DRIVING MAY CAUSE. THE SERVICE STATION THAT LOOKED AT IT HAS INFORMED ME THAT THE ENGINE IS SHOT. THE ISUZU COMPANY HAS A POWERTRAIN LIMITED WARRANTY FOR A PERIOD OF 60 MO/60000, WHICHEVER IS EARLIER. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MY LOCAL ISUZU DEALERSHIP THAT THE "IN-SERVICE" DATE IS 03-03-99, AND THAT IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. ALTHOUGH IT IS STILL UNDER THE 60KMI AND ONLY FOUR MONTHS OVER THE 60 MONTHS, THEY WILL DO NOTHING TO HELP. I ALSO CONTACTED THE ISUZU OWNER RELATIONS DEPARTMENT AND RECEIVED THE SAME RESPONSE. IN MY FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS, I HAVE FOUND NUMOROUS COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEMS . IT SEEMS TO BE THAT THIS MYSTERIOUSLY MISSING OIL PROBLEM OCCURS IN THE 98 AND 99 MODELS. I'M CURRENTLY AT A STAND STILL ON WHAT PATH TO TAKE. MY VEHICLE IS AT THE LOCAL SERVICE GARAGE, UNFIXED . I HAVE CONTACTED THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU WITH A COMPLAINT. I AM WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THEM. MEANWHILE, COULD YOU PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU.*AK